I shoot people and then I ask questions

After all, everyone knows the dangers of heroin, don’t they?

“My uncle passed away as a result of heroin use when I was a kid. And my way of dealing with it, for years, was to convince myself it was his own fault. After all, everyone knows the dangers of heroin, don’t they? The reality, which has only become clear to me in recent years, is that none of us know the internal struggles family and friends are dealing with, or the reasons why someone would start using. I’ve lived in the city centre for years now, and while I do love it, there is a massive drug problem that appears to be worsening. I’d be lying if I said otherwise. When you witness young men and women in phone boxes and down lanes, trousers down, squatting over a needle at 8am on a weekday morning, it really does make you wonder about the circumstances that lead them down that path. It’s heart breaking. Worse still is seeing people try to function after they’ve injected. Both are truly desperate sights, but unfortunately ones I see daily. I really think that anything that helps get addicts off the streets and into a safer environment should be welcomed as a positive and progressive step in the right direction.”

#SaferFromHarm

-(2/7) This interview is part of a collaborative campaign between Humans of Dublin and the Ana Liffey Drug Project to raise awareness of the importance of medically supervised injecting facilities in Ireland. For more information, please visit Ana Liffey Drug Project’s Website